Nest Labs has reportedly been working on a smart smoke detector that is compatible with computers and mobile devices - much like the Learning Thermostat that the startup released in 2011.

Former Wall Street Journal reporter Jessica E. Lessin, citing anonymous people close to Nest Labs, reported on Tuesday that the smoke detector is in development and might release later this year. There are no details yet on the official name or how much it could cost, though Lessin said it will have "a lot of neat features that will make it far more exciting than a traditional smoke detector".

Some of the features could include a subscription monitoring service that pushes out alerts when the smoke detector senses smoke or fire, compatibility with the Learning Thermostat, carbon monoxide detection and the ability to silence alarms by waving a hand in front of it.

Read: Nest officially coming to the UK

Nest Labs has reportedly considered many gadgets since launching the Learning Theromostat, one of which included a door lock. There's even been rumours about an audio device. After all, Tony Fadell - known as the "father of the iPod" for his work on the first 18 generations of Apple's music player and his involvement in the hardware design of the iPhone - co-founded Nest Labs with Matt Rogers in 2010.

Although another smart product/connected household device would be the next obvious step for Nest Labs, it's worth mentioning that Fadell once mocked the idea of an internet-linked kettle or toaster, saying he couldn't "see the point". Apparently, he sees more value in smoke detectors.

UPDATE: AllThingsD has followed up with Lessin's report, clarifying that Nest Labs' smoke detector will go by the name "Protect". The website also said the detector will connect to the Nest Learning Thermostat as well as work with mobile devices, though it won't have a subscription service as Lessin claimed.